CURBED, September 25, 2019: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Latest Legislation? Housing Justice for All
Freshman Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) also has a plan for that—many plans, in fact.
This morning, AOC will release a multi-part legislative blueprint to build a more equitable and sustainable nation, what’s she’s calling “A Just Society.” Comprised of six separate bills, including one focused on housing reform, it places Ocasio-Cortez’s progressive philosophy into sharp relief, offering detailed policy proposals to address the “extreme economic inequality and poverty plaguing our country, while providing a new era of shared prosperity for everyone.” One bill begins in part, by saying “Whereas the United States is, by many accounts, one of the world’s wealthiest countries; Whereas the United States is also a land of stark inequality.”
The suite of new legislation impacts a wide array of government programs with its provisions for updating the federal poverty line, expanding tenants rights, expanding labor rights, and compelling the U.S. to ratify the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, a landmark UN human rights treaty covering, among other topics, working conditions, health, education, social security and housing.
It’s AOC’s entry in a season of big policy proposals, including detailed housing policy from Democratic presidential candidates, as well as proposals from progressive groups such as the Homes Guarantee platform and the “A Home to Thrive” Campaign, developed by the Center for Popular Democracy, which collaborated with AOC on her housing bill.
“I am both energized and humbled to introduce legislation today to build upon the most transformative programs of the last century,” said Representative Ocasio-Cortez in a statement. “From the New Deal to the Great Society, we have shown time and again that our nation is capable of implementing big ideas and bold solutions that match the scale of the challenges we face. We must once again recognize the breadth and consequences of poverty in this country and work together to ensure a path forward to economic freedom for everyone.”
